Handi Indian Cuisine

My wife and I visited with three kids and a friend on a Monday afternoon around 1:30 and found the restaurant very quiet. We were seated quickly and told our server we were having the lunch buffet. What a buffet! None of us had ever had Indian food before so the wide variety served as a delicious introduction. The general favorite was the chicken takka marsalla and the carrot hijaka but we all enjoyed everything we put on our plates. There were plenty of options for the kids as well. Service was fine — they kept the water glasses filled and plates cleared. Now that we’ve got an idea of the fair, we’re looking forward to returning for a date night dinner.

My friend and I got a Sunday afternoon Buffet 30 minutes before they closed and the food was still fresh and they kept bringing it out till the very end. Everything on the buffet was excellent very flavorful. The service was excellent and so was the atmosphere and ambience. I highly recommend it!

Once again, a great experience. Service was courteous and prompt. The food was delicious. I like mine mild and it was perfect. You have to get the naan bread, it is wonderful. Always my go to spot in Gville for Indian cuisine. And got a Taj Mahal beer to pair it up!

The five stars is for the exceptional food. My husband is from Durban, S. Africa, which has the largest Indian population outside of India, so he’s well versed on good Indian food and he loves his curries. It’s somewhat difficult finding exceptional Indian food in the U.S., but we found it at Handi. My husband ordered the Handi Special and he couldn’t stop raving about it. The main course was some type of Indian fajita type dish and he said it was unusual, but absolutely delicious. The curries were also exceptional. I ordered the chicken tikka masala and it was also delicious. The décor is nice, with exposed brick walls, hardwood floors and ambient lighting, but the place is quite large and some may find the service can be a bit casual. Go there for great Indian food and you’ll have a lovely evening!

I don’t know what’s with the 4-​star rating. This place is just plain ok 2-​star. The one star is for location and the second star for ambience. Food was really disappointing.
For our first attempt we went for a lunch buffet. No item was worthy of praise. Nothing like food back home. Maybe this place can be classified american-​indian or wanna-​be-​indian food or the mc donalds of infian food. Just the quality lacked imensely and flavors were so-​so.
On our second attempt we did A la carte and ordered Samosa for appetizer and Chicken biryani for entrée. Samosas were nothing exceptional, I myself could prepare better samosas as a 17 year old student. And the chicken biryani… did it even have saffron? felt more like food color to me. Again the chicken lacked quality. Per hubby rice was undercooked. We’re defintely not giving this resturant a third try and no we didnt bother to order dessert.
Sorry no photos, the food wasn’t worthy of a single click.

Everything here is delicious, but my favorite is the Sunday buffet since you can try everything. The staff is very nice and willing to explain any dish and offer suggestions if you are lost. Even for people who aren’t lovers of Indian food, there is probably something here you will like. Lots of food for the price and at a great quality.

Love that they’re open 7 days a week, love the vegetarian options, and everything always comes out quickly whether the restaurant is busy or not. They are also an option in 864togo, and we have ordered through that service a few times.
We are vegetarians and our favorites are vegetable pakora (appetizer) garlic naan, vegetable korma, palak paneer, and aloo gobi.

I didn’t hate the food as much as I hated the lady there. Thank you for ruining my food and my first ever visit to your restaurant dear lady. I was with a friend there at around 9ish and she kept on asking for check all the time while we were eating. She literally made us sign our checks with our both hands full of food.
Maybe it was late and they might have been wrapping up but I then why keep it open when you’re not ready to server properly. Food was not bad, my advice show up early if you want to enjoy the food or not show up at at (do a takeaway rather).

Lamb Rogan josh was tasty but watered down. Maybe it’s a different style that I’m not used to? Their Naan is good and the lady up front was pleasant to speak with. I’d go back.

Service is not good at all. In between the dinner, I was asked to pay, should learn some courtesy how to treat customers. Food quality is poor wrt what they charge. Unnecessarily high prices.

More of all y’alls from Greenville and surrounding area need to get in here! The owner is a beautiful soul and the food cooked with care, and quickly.
They have the tasty Brancott Estate Sauvi from New Zealand for a light, refreshing wine pairing. It brings out a bit of the spice in the food.
Try the Naan with the coconut and cherries too (instead of the traditional plain or the savory garlic). The sweetness of the fruit enhances and complements the entrees nicely.
A lovely dining experience overall with warm ambiance.

This is a nice, large place that manages to be cozy by using exposed brick and soft lighting. We all had the chicken Korma, which was served with rice sprinkled with orange peel zest. As far as northern Indian goes, the «mild» was a bit spicy for a cashew dish. The staff were friendly and the service quick. Downtown Greenville is small, so this may be the best option for Indian. The Hyatt’s concierge amusingly suggested the German place as a second choice because it «has food from all over.» Greenville is much improved from 10 or 15 years ago, but it is still South Carolina.

Decent Indian food. We had the buffet which wasn’t bad, but could have had some more meat variety. Also the food isn’t spicy at all, would have liked at least a little kick of spice in something. The service was good and the employees couldn’t have been nicer. We still prefer the Indian Palace Restaurant over Handi Cuisine, but I’m sure they have their own fan base. 3 solid stars.

I’ve had the lunch buffet, and dined in at dinner. Both were great. For dinner my sister and I split Palek Paneer and Chicken Vindaloo. Both were great. I love spicy food, and man the Vindaloo didn’t disappoint. I was a sweaty mess by the end, but I could have eaten more. Washed down with a nice large Taj Mahal beer. SO GOOD!

Delicious delicious!
The place is beautiful with the original brick walls and the amazing hardwood floors. The setting is very elegant.
The smell when we walked in was delightful!
I can be pretty basic with my Indian food. I always get the sample Thali Vegetarian platter. I like to try and have different things. Mix it up. Everything on my plate was amazing! From the app to the rice pudding. I couldn’t ask for better flavor.
I don’t recall the name of Corys dish but it was also amazing. I don’t think you can go wrong with this place.
Garlic Naan was amazing. I loved it! Awesome flavor. The traditional Naan was just as tasteful!
If you are in the area and want to try some yummy Indian food… then you just found a staple
Our server was a very nice man and he was working alone. Wasn’t super busy. He might of been the owner or relative. He worked with pride.

I’ve been going here for 6 years now. This place consistently has fresh and flavorful food. And the lunch buffet is 7 days a week. If you’re new to Indian food, this is a great place to start (lunch buffet). The dinners here are amazing and cooked to order. Although it’s a little more pricier for dinner the portions are much larger. I recommend the Indian classics of tikka masala or korma for new starters. And they also serve kingfisher here!

Love this place. $ 9 buffet, amazing flavored, cozy décor. The food is so flavorful and slightly more spicy than other buffetts I’ve tried. The staff is attentive and quick when an item needs refilling or a guest has a request. The space is cool, dark and quiet, which is a welcome break from the bright, noisy bustling Main St just outside the door. I love everything about it.

Yummy Indian food, large area for seating, would eat again.
Some friends and I got a table for 7 and ordered many curries to share family style. I can’t take lots of spice, so I stuck with the milder curries, but I enjoyed them a lot. I do think that each of the curries were saltier than they needed to be, but everything else was great. The mango lassi was lovely: creamy, flavorful, and refreshing. The staff was friendly enough, but there weren’t many waiters there, so they were spread thing. The atmosphere isn’t anything too impressive, fairly modest I’d say, but there are a lot of tables, and the restaurant was accommodating with our large party. I’ll be coming back again the next time I’m in Greenville.

This place was soooo good. I came here as the first date I’ve had in years, so most of the awkwardness was gone, and we could act like weirdos. Which we did, even though it was a semi-​fancy occasion. We had reservations, but came about 20 minutes early and we were seated immediately. Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of people there. Maybe one other table when we arrived, and then two more groups of people were seated after we arrived. Despite the fact that Indian food is one of my favorite types of food, I really don’t eat it as much as I eat other kinds of food. I love the rich array of spices they have. It’s as much smelling the wonderful aromas as tasting the spices on your tongue.
The atmosphere is cozy, intimate, and a very interesting combination between casual and fancy. Casual because it seems like there’s a buffet down the hall, and fancy because you get linen napkins and a linen tablecloth, and there’s soft lighting for people that choose to order off the menu and are seated in the main area.
But we decided on the Dinner for 2 Options, which had a good mix of food that I was interested in trying, and didn’t pigeonhole me to one particular entrée. It was around $ 35 for that. We chose the medium spiciness, I think?
Samosas — There were fantastic. Unfortunately, only two were provided. I would order these as an appetizer in a heartbeat.
Chicken Tikka — Really good flavors.
Tandoori Shrimp — Really bright orange, and it looked way more spicier than it tasted. The shrimp had a shrimp flavor (cue, not the freshest), but the sauce was really good.
Chicken/​Lamp Patia (we got chicken) Generous chunks of chicken, in a spicy sauce.
Vegetable Masala — Really rich flavor, despite the lack of meat.
Basmati Rice — Huge portion of rice. We were able to add rice to almost everything, and still had a large amount to take back home.
Garlic Naan — I think it was two slices of this, each one cut into quarters.
(My favorite was the Samosas, Chicken Tikka, and Chicken Patia.)
PROS:
The garlic naan is wonderfully fluffy and not burnt!
The food is generously portioned.
Wonderfully spiced (though I guess we could have gone up in spiciness).
Large chunks of meat (there weren’t any bones, which has been an issue in food I’ve gotten at other Indian places).
Lots of flavorful spices in the sauces and meat.
Large portion of rice.
Quiet, intimate space. Low lighting, very nice.
CONS:
Water wasn’t always filled. I got the sense they weren’t as attentive as other restaurants out of a respect for their patrons, not out of laziness. But still, while I could have done with more spiciness, the desire for more water to accommodate that would not be near enough.
THE VERDICT:
Here’s why I’d rate this place 5 instead of 4 stars: the portions are generous AND the food is flavorful. A lot of the time, you’ll get a tradeoff or a so-​so. Great taste, but small portions (the most common at good restaurants), or okay food with okay portions. This place did a surprisingly good job on all fronts. We were able to eat until we were completely full that night. Then the next day, we had additional leftovers where we were both able to eat more food. AND then the next day, there was still one more good sized portion left over. Essentially 5 – 6 meals, and if we’re being mathematical here, that would average out to about $ 6 per meal.
TIPS: We added the rice with what was left over, and left to marinate in the fridge 24 hours or so, the spices really kicked up a notch! Also, it would be a good idea to get an additional order of Naan for your leftovers.

Good food, friendly staff, decently priced. My wife had the salmon, and I had the lamb tandoori. Both good. The restaurant itself is a nice change from the commercial places around.